Loblolly pine tree named ‘CF LP1-7696’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinctive variety of a loblolly pine tree which has been denominated varietally as ‘CF LP1-7696’ which is distinguished by high growth rate, good resistance to fusiform rust, excellent stem straightness, medium crown width, medium number of whorls, medium branch angle and medium branch diameter.

Latin name: Pinus taeda.

Variety denomination: ‘CF LP1-7696’.

BACKGROUND

A new variety of loblolly pine tree (Pinus taeda), has been discovered.This selection has been designated as ‘CF LP1-7696.’

This new variety is a progeny of two second generation selections. Thefemale parent is a progeny of two first generation selections made inCherokee County, Tex. and Tyler County, Tex. The male parent is aprogeny of an open pollinated first generation selection made inMontgomery County, Tex.

Cross pollination occurred in early 2000 followed by induction andcryopreservation of embryogenic tissue in 2001. First somatic seedlingswere produced in 2002 and planted in early 2003 in three fieldexperiments. A total of 30 ramets were planted at 10 ramets per fieldexperiment. The field experiments are located in Texas and Louisiana.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A new and distinct cultivar of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) is distinctlycharacterized by high growth rate, good resistance to fusiform rust,excellent stem straightness, medium crown width, medium number ofwhorls, medium branch angle, medium branch diameter and which is maturefor commercial harvesting sooner than conventionally grown trees underthe ecological conditions prevailing in the Gulf Coastal Plains of theUnited States.

The Pinus taeda plants of this variety were asexually propagated usingan advanced form of micropropagation called somatic embryogenesiscarried out at a production facility in Victoria, Canada. Somaticembryogenesis uses a complex process which relies on the splitting ofone embryo into many identical embryos. Somatic embryos can then begrown into plants which are all identical genetically. The asexualpropagation occurs at an earlier stage in the plant's life cycle thanmost other micropropagated plants. The detailed methods for somaticembryogenesis used for asexually propagating conifers in general aredescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,496 and for loblolly pine in particularin U.S. patent application Publication No. 2004/0203150.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings are color photographs showing the new variety of loblollypine.

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing ‘CF LP1-7696’ ramet # 3 planted inBeulah, Tex. The picture was taken after five field growing seasons. Thepicture shows superiority of growth and medium crown width.

FIG. 2 is a photograph showing ‘CF LP1-7696’ ramet # 5 planted inBeulah, Tex. The picture was taken after five field growing seasons. Thepicture shows excellent stem straightness, medium number of whorls perunit stem length, medium angle between the stem and the branches, andmedium branch diameter (relative to the size of the stem).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The botanical details of this new and distinct variety of loblolly pinetree follow. All color descriptions are made in reference to The RoyalHorticultural Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart (2005).

-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—(Unknown) progeny of two first generation            selections made in Cherokee County, Tex. and Tyler County,            Tex.        -   Male parent.—(Unknown) progeny of an open pollinated first            generation selection made in Montgomery County, Tex.-   Leaf: Evergreen needles, 6 to 9 inches long, with (usually) three    yellow-green needles per fascicle. The color of the foliage was    taken from field established trees aged 6 years, but was not found    to vary significantly with age. The color of the foliage was RHS    137A (60%) and 136A (40%).-   Flower: Monoecious; males long cylindrical, red to yellow, in    clusters at branch tips; females yellow to purple.-   Fruit: Ovoid to cylindrical, 3 to 6 inch red-brown cones; umbo is    armed with a short spine, maturing in early fall. Cones are sporadic    in 5-7 year old plants.-   Branch: Orange-brown in color, fine to moderately stout; buds are    narrowly ovoid, light reddish brown.-   Bark: Initially red- to gray-brown and scaly; older trees are ridged    and furrowed, with somewhat rounded scaly plates; very old trees    have red-brown, flat scaly plates.-   Shape: A medium to large tree can reach well over 100 feet tall,    self-prunes well and develops a fairly straight trunk and an oval,    somewhat open crown.

Compared to unimproved loblolly pine trees, ‘CF LP1-7696’ ischaracterized by high growth rate, good resistance to fusiform rust(caused by Cronartium quercuum (Berk.) Miyabe ex Shirai f. sp. fusiforme(Cumm.) Burds. et Snow), excellent stem straightness, medium crownwidth, medium number of whorls, medium branch angle and medium branchdiameter.

-   Average height: 20 ft after 5 field growing seasons-   Maximum height: 24 ft after 5 field growing seasons-   Average trunk diameter at breast height (4.5 feet above the soil    level): 3.8 inches after 5 field growing seasons and 4.7 inches to    6.0 inches after 6 field growing seasons.-   Sampling of Branch Characteristics: In order to sample branches from    a consistent position from one tree to the next the following    methodology was utilized. From a point nine feet from the base of    the tree, the first complete whorl of limbs below was labeled “Whorl    One” and the first complete whorl of limbs above labeled “Whorl    Two”. This sampling point was chosen because it is the midpoint of    the basal sixteen foot log of each tree. A complete whorl was    defined as one with at least three branches. All measurements were    taken commencing on the South side of the tree and progressing    anticlockwise around the stem. When more than three branches were    available for measurement on the whorl the largest three branches,    by basal diameter, were used for sampling. The following branch    characteristics were measured after six field growing seasons.-   Branch diameter: Diameter of each measured branch was taken at its    base. Using a caliper the diameter of the branch, over bark, was    measured to the closest 16^(th) of an inch. ‘CF LP1-7696’ has an    average branch diameter of 0.63 inches at the base of the branch.    Zygotic seedlings of the same genetic origin have an average branch    diameter of 0.98 inches at the base of the branch.-   Branch angle: Utilizing a large protractor, the angle of each branch    was measured as its deviation from horizontal. Branch angles were    recorded for the portion of the branch emerging from the stem of the    tree with data rounded to the closest 10 degrees. ‘CF LP1-7696’ has    an average branch angle of 29.50 degrees from horizontal. Zygotic    seedlings of the same genetic origin have an average branch angle of    29.44 degrees from horizontal.-   Branch length: The length of each sampled branch was measured    directly with a graduated measurement pole. Branch lengths were    recorded to the closest 0.5 feet. ‘CF LP1-7696’ has an average    branch length of 6.48 feet. Zygotic seedlings of the same genetic    origin have an average branch length of 8.8 feet.-   Crown diameter: The width of the crown, at the point where branch    measurements were taken, was directly measured with the use of a    graduated measurement pole. A radial measurement was taken on the    East and West side of each tree. Crown radius was measured to the    closest 0.5 feet. Crown width data is presented as diameter of the    crown. ‘CF LP1-7696’ has an average crown diameter of 8.65 feet.    Zygotic seedlings of the same genetic origin have an average crown    diameter of 11.37 feet.-   Internode length: In proximity to the area of the stem utilized for    branch measurements the mean internode length was determined for    each tree. Internode distances for the calculation of the mean were    directly measured from the stem of the tree using a graduated    measurement pole. ‘CF LP1-7696’ has an average internode length of    1.22 feet. Zygotic seedlings of the same genetic origin have an    average internode length of 1.25 feet.-   Maximum trunk diameter at breast height (4.5 feet above the soil    level): 4.4 inches after 5 field growing seasons-   Percent stem fusiform rust infection at age 5:0-   Percent branch fusiform rust infection at age 5:5-   Percent branch and stem fusiform rust infection at age 5:0-   Percent dead ramets due to fusiform rust infection at age 5:0-   Percent stem fusiform rust infection in the USDA Resistance    Screening Center (Asheville, N.C.) tests after artificial    inoculation with rust spores: 31% (compared to 76% infection in    unimproved seedlings)-   Propagation: propagated by somatic embryogenesis-   Seeds: none produced at age 5 years of age, plants are not yet    mature. Expected seed production by 12-15 years of age.-   Use: high yield industrial plantations

Although the new variety of loblolly pine tree possesses the detailedcharacteristics noted above as a result of the growing conditionsprevailing in the test locations, it is to be understood that thevariations of the usual magnitude and characteristics incident tochanges in growing conditions, irrigation, fertilization, pruning, pestcontrol, climatic variations and the like are to be expected. An exampleof ‘CF LP1-7696’ can be found at The Campbell Group Beulah year 2003line trial, Angelina county, Tex.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS BY MICROSATELLITE ANALYSIS

Microsatellite markers (SSR's) were used to generate a unique DNAfingerprint for the variety. Young foliage samples from 6 ramets ofLP1-7696 variety and from the parental trees used to make the LP1 crosswere collected for DNA fingerprinting. The DNA extraction protocol ofDoyle and Doyle (1987) was used after slight modifications. DNAfingerprinting of parents and the LP1-7696 variety was conducted using aset of nine microsatellite markers (Elsik et al., 2000; Auckland et al.,2002; Echt et al., 2008). Table 1 shows the sequences and conditions foreach primer.

TABLE 1 ID's, sequences and conditions of SSR primers used in loblollypine LP1-7696 variety. Primer UniSTS GenBank SEQUENCE (5′-3′) full ID #accession (SEQ ID NO:) PtTX3011 508455 BV728852 F: AATTTGGGTGTATTTTTCTTAGA (SEQ ID NO: 1) R: AAAAGTTGAAGGAGTTG GTGATC (SEQ ID NO: 2) PtTX3025508459 BV728855 F: CACGCTGTATAATAACAA TCTA (SEQ ID NO: 3) R:GGATAACAATTTCACACA GGTTCTATATTCGCTTTTAG TTTC (SEQ ID NO: 4) PtTX3034508463 BV728857 F: CACGACGTTGTAAAACGA CTCAAAATGCAAAAGACG (SEQ ID NO: 5)R: ATTAGGACTGGGGATGA T (SEQ ID NO: 6) PtTX3049 508467 BV728826 F:GAAGTGATAATGGCATA GCAAAAT (SEQ ID NO: 7) R: GCAGACCCGTGAAAGTA ATAAACAT(SEQ ID NO: 8) PtTX3105 508475 BV728847 F: TGTCGGTGGAGTTGGCAG TAGACT(SEQ ID NO: 9) R: GCCCAGCGTTTCCTG (SEQ ID NO: 10) PtTX3116 508479BV728848 F: CACGACGTTGTAAAACGA CCTCCCAAAGCCTAAAGAA T (SEQ ID NO: 11) R:CATACAAGGCCTTATCTT ACAGAA (SEQ ID NO: 12) PtTX3127 508483 BV728849 F:ACCCTTACTTTCAGAAGA GGATA (SEQ ID NO: 13) R: GGATAACAATTTCACACAGGAATTGGGGTTCAACTATT CTATTA (SEQ ID NO: 14) PtSIFG_0566 516281 BV728755F: CACGACGTTGTAAAACGA CACTTAGTGGGAAAGGGGG AA (SEQ ID NO: 15) R:GTTTCTTTTCCTCAGCCA AAAGCTCTC (SEQ ID NO: 16) PtSIFG_4233 516353 BV728685F: CACGACGTTGTAAAACGA CAGGGAAACCGCGGATTAT AG (SEQ ID NO: 17) R:GTTTCTTCCGGAATGAAG ATTGCAGTT (SEQ ID NO: 18) Primer LABEL TAIL (F/R);MgCl₂ Ta full ID E (end labeled) (mM) (° C) PtTX3011 E 2.5 55 PtTX3025 R2.5 61 PtTX3034 F 2.5 55 PtTX3049 E 2.5 59 → 49 PtTX3105 E 2.5 59 → 49PtTX3116 F 2.5 55 → 45 PtTX3127 R 2.5 61 PtSIFG_0566 F 2.5 65 → 55PtSIFG_4233 F 2.5 65 → 55 Ta = primer annealing temperature.

Microsatellite products were detected by M13 tailed primer (Oettling etal., 1995) or infrared dye(IRD)-labeled primer. The amplificationproducts were electrophoresed on 5.5% Long Ranger polyacrylamide gelsusing a LiCor 4200 automated sequencer (LiCor Inc., Lincoln, Neb.).

The observed parental genotypes and their expected offspring's genotypesat nine studied SSR loci are presented in Table 2. LP1-7696 fingerprintbased on nine loci is presented in Table 3.

TABLE 2 Parental genotypes and their expected offspring's genotypes atnine SSR loci. Genotype Primer Female Male Expected offspring genotypesPtTX3011 157/193 157/193 157/157 157/193 193/193 PtTX3025 277/289274/277 277/274 227/227 289/274 289/277 PtTX3127 207/210 204/207 207/204207/207 210/204 210/207 PtTX3034 228/228 216/220 228/216 228/220PtTX3049 311/313 323/325 311/323 311/325 313/323 313/325 PtTX3116147/150 159/180 147/159 147/180 150/159 150/180 PtTX3105 169/190 169/184169/169 169/184 190/169 190/184 SIFG0566 133/139 145/145 133/145 139/145SIFG4233 127/127 129/137 127/129 127/137

TABLE 3 LP1-7696 genotypes at nine SSR loci. Allelic sizes include LiCorprimer tails for M13 tailed primers. PtTX3011 PtTX3025 PtTX3127 Allele1Allele2 Allele1 Allele2 Allele1 Allele2 157 193 274 289 204 207 PtTX3034PtTX3049 PtTX3116 Allele1 Allele2 Allele1 Allele2 Allele1 Allele2 216228 311 325 150 180 PtTX3105 SIFG0566 SIFG4233 Allele1 Allele2 Allele1Allele2 Allele1 Allele2 169 190 139 145 127 137

-   References:-   Auckland, L., T. Bui, Y. Zhou, M. Shepherd and C. Williams. 2002.    Conifer Microsatellite Handbook Corporate Press, Raleigh, N.C., USA.-   Doyle, J.J. and J.L. Doyle. 1987. A rapid DNA isolation procedure    for small quantities of fresh tissue. Phytochemical bulletin    19:11-15.-   Echt, C.S., Saha, S. and Nelson, C.D. 2008. Southern Institute of    Forest Genetics, USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station,    23332 Mississippi 67, Saucier, MS 39574, USA. On-line genetic    database: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/unists-   Elsik, C.G., Minihan, V.T., Hall, S.E., Scarpa, A.M. and Williams,    C.G. 2000. Low-copy microsatellite markers for Pinus taeda L. Genome    43(3):550-555.-   Oetting, W.S., H.K. Lee, D.J. Flanders, G.L. Wiesner, T.A. Sellers    and R.A. King. 1995. Linkage analysis with multiplexed short tandem    repeat polymorphisms using infrared florescence and M13 tailed    primers. Genomics 30:450-458.

1. A new and distinct variety of loblolly pine tree named ‘CF LP1-7696’substantially as described and illustrated.